Precision fish seasoning machine

ABSTRACT

It is made up of a frame upon which travel trays that carry the fish to be seasoned with a given quantity of high salt content product, the system used to distribute this product consisting of a storage tank out of which falls the product upon a distribution hopper through a passage, being arranged inside the hopper a rotating roller with slots for the carriage of the seasoning product, which falls through the lower passage upon the fish arranged on the trays, being the profile of the slots similar to that of the fish that are located below on a tray in correspondence with the position of the slots, being the rotation speed of the driving motor used to actuate the roller determined by the weight of the trays containing the fish.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of The Invention

The object of this invention is a precision machine used to season fish,and which incorporates a control system that enables determining theproper amount of granulated material, with a high salt content, requiredalong the body of the fish as a function of its profile and weight andwhich actuates the relevant regulation mechanisms applying the properquantity of the product to each one the sections making up the body ofthe fish.

The machine is furthermore fitted with a product distribution systemacting in such a way that the quantity of product applied upon thevarious fish sections is determined by the speed of a rotatinghorizontal roller that has lengthwise slots into which the salt mixtureis introduced and from which said mixture is deposited onto the fishbeing displaced under the roller, and by the curved shapes of the rollerslots, which match the profile of the fish.

2. Prior Art

It is already well known in the food preparation industry the saltingprocess applied to foodstuffs in order to preserve the properties of thefood items during the period of time between the moment they areprocessed until they are consumed. The method used is based on theuniform distribution of common salt upon the food item to be treated,being its food preserving character defined by the antiseptic propertiesof sodium chloride.

This salting procedure is a common practice in the fishing industry,where the fish caught is salted in order to maintain freshness.

The method currently used to season fish consists on the manualapplication of a coat of a granulated product with a high salt contentupon the body of the fish, operation that is performed after the fishhas been duly boned and cut in half. The operator then spreads upon thefish, using his/her hands, the product quantity that he/she considersappropriate as a function of the shape and size of the fish to beseasoned.

The proper performance of this operation requires an expert to apply theprecise product quantity upon each one of the sections of the body ofthe fish, being the product quantity to be applied on its upper bodydifferent from that to be applied on its tail, as greater productquantities are to be applied on the thicker fish areas.

It is fairly complex to perform this operation manually with theprecision required to guarantee optimum fish conservation conditionsthroughout its body, as the proper performance of this operation dependsupon the skills of the operator.

The time employed for the seasoning of each fish varies depending uponthe skills and experience of the person carrying out this type of work,being it impossible to guarantee the seasoning of every fish to theprecisely required extent as a consequence of the different level ofprecision with which this operation is performed.

There is no knowledge of the current existence of any type of machineguaranteeing the control of the quantity of salted product required tobe applied upon the body of the fish as a function of its body shape andvolume.

The optimization of this fish seasoning procedure, by adopting a systemthat controls the parameters of influence and acts upon the meanscorrespondingly used to regulate the quantity of product to bedistributed, makes fully feasible the object of the invention hereinproposed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention tries to solve the previously described problems using aprecision fish seasoning machine fundamentally incorporating adisplacement track on which slide the trays upon which the fish isplaced, a salt distribution system, a tray weighing system and a systemused to regulate and control the amount of high salt content product tobe applied.

It is a continuous process machine on which the tray is displaced uponthe frame using a pull chain, there being several trays placed atdifferent positions along the assembly upon which different operationsare performed as a function of the position of the tray along the trayguidance track at any given time.

The application of salt upon the tray is effected using a distributionsystem upwardly arranged in respect of the tray displacement andguidance track, consisting of a horizontal distribution hopper thatincludes a rotating internal roller, being the hopper fitted with anupper opening through which it receives the salt that falls in from astorage tank, being the roller fitted with slots into which the salt isintroduced, and it is later spread on the tray, upon the rotation of theroller, in the position in which the slots are placed in correspondencewith the lower opening of the distribution hopper.

The precision fish seasoning machine incorporates two distributionsystems along the frame of the machine, being one of them located at thebeginning of the track after the tray entrance area, which function isto provide a minor sprinkling of salt uniformly spread along the wholesurface of the tray whenever it passes under the area where the rolleris located.

In this case, the roller of this distribution system has a number ofslots located on the side of its body and which extend for a distancepractically equal to the length of the roller.

Roller movement is caused by the rotation of a driving motor linked toone of its ends, said motor rotates at a constant speed related to thetray displacement velocity, thus achieving a uniform coating of salt,falling through the multiple slots practiced in the roller, over thetray.

Once the tray has been fully covered by this fine salt coating, it thentravels through the area where the operators are located, said operatorsplace the fish upon the trays for their later seasoning. The fish aregutted and cut in two halves before they are arranged upon they trays,which are then placed upon the tray areas already prepared for thatpurpose.

There are two lengthwise projections arranged across the tray anddefining three areas, two equally wide areas located at both ends of thetray and a central area twice as wide as the end areas. The projectionsdefine the lines along which the fish bodies are placed on both sides ofthe lines, being the thicker area of each fish the one that defines thefish side in contact with the projection.

Besides the fore mentioned projections, the tray incorporates perimeterprojections which purpose is to reinforce the sides of the tray toprevent it from combing.

The proper arrangement of the fish upon the tray is extremely importantfor the application of the appropriate dose of high salt contentgranulated product, as it is closely related to the shape of theopenings on the rollers of the seasoning mechanism located further downthe track.

Once the fish have been duly arranged on the tray, it continues itsdisplacement along the guidance track until it reaches an area where itstops and its weight is then recorded by a weighing scale, said weighingscale being fitted with arms that lift the tray in respect of thedisplacement track establishing its weight, being the correspondingweight data then forwarded to a control unit.

The tray does then continue travelling, passing under the salt mixturedistribution mechanism, essentially made up of the previously describedelements: storage tank, distribution hopper and motor driven roller.

In this case the roller has a number of slots distributed upon its sidesurface which extend lengthwise, having the slots placed on the one linea configuration set in concordance with the shape of the fish and incorrespondence with the placement of the tray. This ensures the properdistribution of greater product quantities upon the thicker areas,according to the width of the fish.

The product quantity distributed along, as well as across the body ofthe fish is defined by the speed of the roller driving motor, being thequantity applied larger at greater motor speeds, given that the rolleropenings rotate faster and is therefore also greater the number of slotsthat empty out per time unit upon passing the lower opening of thedistribution hopper, from which the seasoning product is deposited ontothe fish.

Motor rotation speed changes during the passage of the body of the fishpursuant to its profile, having previously set at the control unit thefish profile type upon which the product is to be deposited.

Another solution would be to incorporate an optical reader previouslyfitted to the distribution mechanism used to deposit the product uponthe fish in order to precisely determine the fish profile sizes, datawhich are then sent to the control unit, which then acts upon the motorrotation speed regulation means.

Should the fish profile type be visually checked, it shall then beassociated to one of the profiles previously stored in the control unitmemory, which preset profile would already contain the fish shapes andthe range of speeds associated to each of the fish profile sections.

Once speed variation along a given profile has been established, initialrotation speed is then set as a function of the mean weight of eachfish, being said mean weight duly defined through the weight of theloaded tray once the weight of the tray itself has been deducted anddividing the figure thus obtained by the number of fish. Thus, thegreater the weight of the loaded tray, the greater the weight and volumeof the fish thereon, and therefore the quantity of seasoning product tobe applied shall be accordingly larger, which implies the application ofa faster initial rotation speed.

The granulated product distribution mechanism may incorporate anotherroller with bigger slots for the application of the product upon largerfish, being the consecutively placed slots separated, as per the priorcase, by a distance equal to the size of the tray projection, being thesystem fitted with the corresponding regulation and control means, andbeing similarly fitted with a variable speed motor.

The precision fish seasoning machine may optionally incorporate a nestedtray feeding system capable of causing the trays to fall upon the frameas per a previously set timing in accordance with the remaining processstages. In these nested tray feeding systems it is particularlyimportant that the trays do not bend easily, as tray combing wouldconsiderably difficult the operation of the flat bars normally used toseparate the nested trays.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to complement the description being effected and with the aimof aiding towards a better understanding of the features of theinvention, this patent specification includes, as an integral partthereof, a set of drawings in which, for purposes merely illustrativebut not limitative, the following has been duly represented:

FIG. 1. Represents a plan view of the precision fish seasoning machine.

FIG. 2. Represents a view of the high salt content product distributionsystem with the tray loaded with fish downwardly arranged incorrespondence with the openings of the cylinder and a detail view ofthe slot profile.

FIG. 3. Represents a view of the internal roller corresponding to thesystem used to distribute salt over the tray.

FIG. 4. Represents the rollers associated to their respective productdistribution system driving motors with two rollers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Upon inspecting the figures it may be observed how the invention hereindescribed consists of a precision fish seasoning machine basically madeup of a frame (1) upwardly conformed by a guidance and conveyance track(2) upon which travel the fish (4) carrying trays (6), a system thatdistributes (5) salt upon the tray (3), a weighing scale (22) used toweight the trays (6) after the fish (4) has been deposited thereon, asystem that distributes (7) the high salt content granulated productover the fish, and a further system used to regulate and control theparameters that influence the quantity or product to be applied on thefish.

The precision seasoning machine may optionally be fitted with a nestedtray feeding system arranged at the beginning of the chain, capable ofdropping the trays (6) on the guidance track (2) one by one as perpreviously set time intervals. Should a tray feeding system not befitted, the trays may also be manually placed on the frame, being saidtrays then carried along the full length of the guidance and conveyancetrack (2) by the action of a pulling chain (8).

The displacement of the tray (6) is limited by the side walls of theguidance track (2) and is supported by lengthwise plates (9) made ofstrong plastic material fixed to the horizontal surface of the guidancetrack (2), as well as to the side walls of said guidance track.

Once tray motion starts, the tray is guided towards the area where thesalt distribution system (5) is located, which is upwardly arranged inrespect of the frame, and which function is to deposit a fine coating ofsalt upon the surface of the tray (6).

The tray (6) keeps travelling upon the guidance track until it reachesthe operator that places the fish on the surface of the tray, in such away that the side corresponding to the thicker fish section remains incontact with the tray projections (16). Said lengthwise projections (6)arranged in pairs across the length of the tray define two equally wideend areas and a central area, so that a fish is arranged on each of theend areas and two fish are placed upon the central area.

Further down the guidance track there is a weighing scale (22) overwhich the fish carrying tray (3) stops in order for it to be weighed.The corresponding data obtained from the weighing operation of theassembly is then forwarded to the control system.

The tray then keeps moving on the guidance track until it passes underthe system (7) used to distribute granulated product upon the fish.

In a fashion similar to that employed by the system (5) used todistribute salt upon the tray, this distribution system (7) is fittedwith a horizontally arranged distribution hopper (10) with an upwardlyarranged opening (11) through which the product stored in a storage tank(13) falls upon the slots (14) of a roller (15) that rotates inside thedistribution hopper (10), being the diameter of the roller (15) slightlysmaller than the internal diameter of the distribution hopper (10). Onthe lower side surface of said hopper there is another opening (12)through which fall the product granules carried by the slots (14) of theroller (15) during their turning movement, and which are directedtowards the surface of the tray.

The operational principle of the system (5) used to distributed saltupon the trays and of the system (7) used to distributed the productupon the fish is essentially the same, as both of them are fitted withthe elements described in the previous paragraph, with the differencethat, in the case of the distribution system (7), the roller has severalslots (16) distributed upon the side surface and aligned along it, whichnumber matches the number of fish arranged upon the tray, having slotprofiles that substantially match the shape of the fish. In the case ofsystem (5) used to distribute salt upon the tray, the roller (15') hasthe slots (14') arranged upon the side surface of the roller (15'), butthey are lengthwise slots that extend between the ends of the roller andwhich have the same thickness along their total length.

Taking into consideration that the fish are placed with the thicker endof the fish in contact with the projection (16) of the tray, the profileof the slots (14a) located in correspondence with the fish arranged onthe end areas shall be, taking as a reference the end of the roller foreach one of the slots (14a), fairly thin at the beginning, and wideningprogressively until they reach their maximum thickness at approximately3/5 of the length of the slot, after which their thickness decreasesagain with a lesser degree of variation all the way up to the oppositeend of the slot, which has a thickness of approximately half the maximumthickness reached.

The slots (14b) arranged on the roller (15) in correspondence with thetwo fish arranged on the central area shall be a mirror image of the endslots (14a) of the roller, being the distance between the edges ofconsecutive slots approximately half the width of the across projection(16) of the tray.

The possibility of adopting, within the structure of the system (7) usedto distribute salt upon the fish, another distribution hopper shaped ina fashion similar to that of the hopper (10) and a roller (18) withslots (19) featuring the same shape and placement as the slots (14) ofthe roller (15), but longer, so as to apply the product on wider fish,has also been duly foreseen.

In this case, each one of the rollers (15) and (18) shall berespectively fitted with independent driving motors (20) and (21), onlyone of which shall operate during the process, to be selected by theoperator depending upon the size of the fish to be seasoned.

The seasoning machine regulation and control system acts upon theturning speed of the roller driving motor, changing the speed as afunction of the profile section and thickness of the fish (4) upon whichthe product is being distributed. The fish profile to be seasoned isinput into the control unit, being the fish arranged on the same tray ofa similar profile and weight.

The weight of each fish shall be determined by the mean of the weightsof the fish that are placed on the weighing scale together with theircarrying tray, being the approximate volume of the fish then defined asa function of their weight, which shall consequently determine theproduct quantity required by each fish area.

The fish seasoning machine does furthermore incorporate a number of stopand start sensors arranged on the surface of the guidance track, aswells as sensors used to control the amount of salt left inside thestorage hoppers.

It is not considered necessary to extend this description any further inorder to enable any expert in the art to understand the scope of theinvention and the advantages derived therefrom.

The materials, shape, size and arrangement of the elements may bechanged as long as any such change does not alter the essential featuresof the invention.

The terms used to describe this specification must always be interpretedin a wide, and not limitative, sense.

I claim:
 1. Precision fish seasoning machine including:a frame upwardlyconformed by a guidance and conveyance track upon which travel traysthat carry the fish, being said trays supported by fairly thinlengthwise plates made of strong plastic material and firmly attached tothe horizontal surface and the side surfaces of the guidance track; asystem used to distribute salt upon the trays located before the sectionwhere the fish is placed upon the trays; a weighing scale used to weightthe trays carrying the fish; a system used to distribute the high saltcontent granulated product over the fish already placed on the tray; anda unit that regulates and controls the parameters that influence thequantity of product to be applied on the fish.
 2. Precision fishseasoning machine as per claim 1, wherein said system used to distributesalt upon the tray is fitted witha storage tank of salt; a roller,having lengthwise slots distributed over the side surface, that rotatesinside a horizontally arranged distribution hopper, the diameter of theroller being slightly smaller than the internal diameter of thedistribution hopper; said hopper having an upward opening for thepassage of salt from the storage tank, and having on the lower sidesurface of the hopper another opening through which falls the granulatedproduct carried by the slots of said roller in their turningdisplacement, and which is directed towards the surface of the tray. 3.Precision fish seasoning machine as per claim 1, wherein the system usedto distribute the product upon the fish is fitted witha storage tank ofsalt; a roller, having lengthwise slots distributed over the sidesurface, that rotates inside a horizontally arranged distributionhopper, the diameter of the roller being slightly smaller than theinternal diameter of the distribution hopper; said hopper having anupward opening for the passage of salt from the storage tank, and havingon the lower side surface of the hopper another opening through whichfalls the granulated product carried by the slots of said roller intheir turning displacement, and which is directed towards the surface ofthe tray.
 4. Precision fish seasoning machine as per claim 2, whereinthe slots of the roller of the system used to distribute salt upon thetray extend lengthwise along said tray with a length practicallyidentical to that of the lower opening of the distribution hopper and auniform slot thickness throughout.
 5. Precision fish seasoning machineas per claim 2, wherein the roller of the system used to distribute saltupon the tray is actuated by a driving motor.
 6. Precision fishseasoning machine as per claim 3, wherein the slots of the roller of thesystem used to distribute the product upon the fish are aligned andmatch in number the number of fish that the tray has been designed tocarry.
 7. Precision fish seasoning machine as per claim 6, wherein theslots of the roller of the system used to distribute the product uponthe fish feature profiles that approximate in shape the profiles of thefish as they are arranged on the tray.
 8. Precision fish seasoningmachine as per claim 5, wherein the roller of the system used todistribute the product upon the fish is actuated by a variable speeddriving motor.
 9. Precision fish seasoning machine as per claim 7,wherein the profile of the slots of the roller arranged incorrespondence with the fish feature a smaller thickness at one of theirends, which increases progressively until it reaches its maximumthickness at approximately 3/5 of the length of the slot, whichthickness then decreases with a smaller variation all the way up to theopposite end of the slot, at which end it features a thickness ofapproximately half the maximum slot thickness.
 10. Precision fishseasoning machine as per claim 3, wherein the system used to distributethe product upon the fish may be fitted, in parallel to the body of thecylinder, with another similarly sized cylinder containing a roller withslots shaped and placed in a fashion similar to that of the primaryroller but with a greater length for their application upon wider fish.11. Precision fish seasoning machine as per claim 1, wherein the trayhas two lengthwise projections arranged crosswise in respect to thelonger side of the tray, defining two equally wide end areas on each oneof which a fish is placed and a central area twice as wide as the endareas on which two fish are placed, so that the thicker section of eachfish is arranged in contact with the lengthwise projection. 12.Precision fish seasoning machine as per claim 1, wherein the regulationand control unit acts upon the turning speed of the driving motor linkedto the roller of the system used to distribute granulated product uponthe fish, changing the rotation speed as a function of the weight of thetray on the weighing scale and of the fish profile.
 13. Precision fishseasoning machine as per claim 1, wherein the regulation and controlunit incorporates a number of sensors that stop and start the pullingchain arranged on the guidance track, as well as sensors that controlthe quantity of product left inside the storage tanks.